A Laxey eatery will be giving nearby derelict beach huts a new lease of life.

Located near the end of the promenade in the seaside village, The Shed, which is run by Bev and Richard Clegg, will be expanding to provide locals with another facility and encourage people to visit Laxey.

This was following Garff Commissioners giving a unanimous vote in favour of leasing the beach huts to the cafe with another interested party missing out.

Bev, who also owns Creative Juices and was announced as Entrepreneur of the Year at Isle of Man Newspapers’ Awards For Excellence 2019, said getting approval was ’just amazing’.

’We approached the commissioners about the beach huts two years ago. These type of things take time, so we put it to the back of our minds and in the meantime we’ve built a new juicing kitchen at the Woollen Mills,’ she said.

Discussions by Garff Commissioners on the future use of the beach huts - with some being used as changing cubicles - took place prior to 2016.

The commissioners stated that a number of factors had impeded progress, including the huts’ derelict condition, the fact that they had fallen out of use, and whether they were fit for their original purpose even if renovated.

They estimate the cost of renovation being £30,000.

Garff commissioner, Andrew Moore, put forward the motion in favour of The Shed.

He said the business’s proposal showed it would ’significantly enhance’ the amenity of Laxey Promenade and minimise the potential financial impact on the ratepayer when it came to the refurbishment of the buildings.

The Shed already rents out a room as part of the beach huts - which are thought to date back to the 1940s - to store kids beach toys. The husband and wife team are currently coming up with ideas on how to use the huts collectively.

’There is a lot of work to do to get it back to its former glory,’ said Bev.

They are hoping to make the top floor of the two-storey building into a terraced area to provide more shelter for customers who can enjoy a coffee while overlooking the Laxey Bay when the rain comes down.

Other ideas they are considering include having a little Manx produce hut and keeping one of the changing rooms open for the public to use.

Bev said: ’We get a lot of beach swimmers and kayakers. We want to give something back to the public. We also want to promote local produce as much as we can.’

She added that they are ’confident’ that there is nothing structurally wrong with the building.

’There are three changing rooms on the first floor that have concrete walls between them and are small in space. However, that’s what we’re good at; working with the space we’ve got,’ Bev said.

’There will be a lot of work to do and we’re planning on doing that sooner rather than later, but planning does take time.’

She said the team are ’excited’ for this business venture and that the constant extension since The Shed opened in a former empty beach hut in 2017 has taken her by surprise.

’It’s such a lovely atmosphere to work in and that comes down to our customers and we’ve got a great team,’ she said.